


Maybe Next Time

by redconfession



Series: Ben Reilly: Spider-Man [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Scarlet Spider (Comics), Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brothers, Clones, Combination of 616 and MC2 elements, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Slice of Life, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27015460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redconfession/pseuds/redconfession
Summary: In a world where Ben Reilly never died at the hands of Norman Osborn, two brothers try to connect on a rooftop.---Ben put his hand on Kaine's shoulder and pulled so Kaine was facing him. "Come on, Kaine. Don't make me drag you to family counseling. Talk to your younger, formerly-prettier-than-you brother."For a moment Kaine was silent, just staring at the Spider-Man mask. Ben pulled it off, running a hand through his thick, bleach-blond hair to try to remove the "maskhead" it always gave him. He gave Kaine his best puppy eyes. The other clone scowled. Ben pouted, to more scowling. This went on, with Ben coming up with new and goofy ways to appear sad, and Kaine slowly buckling under each one. Ben was on his knees, hands clasped in front of him when Kaine finally broke, turning away to hide a snicker.
Relationships: Kaine (Spider-Man) & Ben Reilly
Series: Ben Reilly: Spider-Man [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971631
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Maybe Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> This evolved from a conversation I had with a friend about what a universe would be like where Ben never died at the end of the Clone Saga, and so continued on as Spider-Man as originally intended. Then some elements of the MC2 crept in, and this was born. I hope you like it!

The lights of the New York City skyline were bright as Spider-Man swung between them. The unofficial, artificial stars of the tiny island welcomed him as he moved about them, a sight he had come to love. Though he missed the actual stars (if he looked up, he could occasionally catch sight of a few), they were a decent substitute. Gracefully, he landed onto a nearby building, one of the smaller buildings among the midtown high rises, and looked out at the city. His city.

Then, as if to remind him that it was not, in fact, his city, Iron Man flew overhead, rushing towards... something. _Can't I have a nice thought for five minutes, life?_ he thought, following the red-and-gold-clad superhero with his eyes. He almost followed the other man, thinking there may be some sort of danger that would require his help. Then he realized Tony's destination--Avengers Tower. He was just heading home for the night.

"Ah well," mumbled Spidey, before looking back down at the city below. "So much for needing my help."

Minutes passed as Spider-Man continued his vigil over the single midtown block. Occasionally he mumbled a comment or two about the people below to himself. At one point he provided a running commentary about two people--tourists, according to his analysis, even if he had no proof to back it up--tried to hail a cab, then started arguing over the same one. The cab had taken neither, as a third person--a native NYer, as far as Ben was concerned--slipped between the two quarreling figures and got into the cab. Spidey applauded her audacity as the cab pulled away, leaving the other two in slack-jawed silence. This city really was something else.

A yell from below forced him to look away from the still stunned probably-tourists. It was a very loud, very clear cry of "REILLY!" This was a cry that still sent chills down Ben Reilly's spine, too ingrained in his memories as the only advanced warning he'd receive before he was attacked by one particular, persistent foe. Only this man wasn't a foe anymore, and hopefully never would be again. And this cry was far from the bloodthirsty tone he was familiar with. This one seemed... panicked.

One look over the edge revealed why: Kaine was plummeting down towards the alley below, convulsing heavily while he tried in vain to get a hand back onto the brick exterior inches away from his outstretched fingers. His cries were that of anguish, not fear. Leaping off the building, Ben dove after his brother, grabbing him by the waist and holding on tight as the mountain of a man thrashed against him. He fired a strand of webbing at one of the higher buildings and swung back onto the rooftop he originally occupied. There, he laid Kaine down on his side as gently as he could and put the man's head, which was covered by the hood of a black hoodie, in his lap for support. Kaine grunted his disapproval at that but did little else until the seizure finally subsided. He groaned as he gingerly pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"You don't even have to tell me. That last one was a failure too."

"Worked great until I started seizing 25 stories off the ground." Kaine rubbed his head through the cloth of the hoodie. "I didn't feel anything until then."

For Kaine, not feeling anything was a good thing. Ben rose to his feet and offered his older brother a hand. He was actually surprised when the larger man took it.

"We'll try again."

"You've done more than enough."

Kaine pushed the hood off his face and started to walk towards the edge of the building. It was then Ben caught his brother's appearance fully for the first time, and he understood at once how those tourists had felt when they noticed "their" cab driving away. For as long as Ben had known Kaine, including the years when he didn't know their connection, he'd looked like a hermit that had just come down from the mountain for the first time in years. Sure, his hair was actually well kept, but he always had this long, curly mane of hair and a large, bushy beard. Ben had always figured it was to both hide his scars from the years of degeneration, and to hide the... uh... _uncanny_ resemblance between the two of them. Tonight, however, he looked completely different. His hair, though still long, ended around his shoulders rather than halfway down his back. Rather than the large, curly mane of hair, it was flatter, and layers of bangs hid his scars. The guy even trimmed his beard so that while it was still full, it didn't give him that look of "scary mountain man" he seemed to like so much.

"Whoa, hang on there, Keanu Reeves," said Ben, following him. "What is all this?!"

Ben gestured around Kaine's face, and Kaine swatted the hand away. Wow, it really was a night of first, as he was expecting a fist in the face.

"I can't get a haircut now, Ben?" Kaine said with a glare. Ben had come to know that glare. That was what Ben called Kaine's "show glare" for when he wanted to attempt to look angry without actually being angry.

"Kaine, I didn't even know you knew what scissors were." Ben smiled beneath his mask. "Other than 'those implements for torture and murder.'"

"You know I don't do that anymore."

"I know. Weadon's a good influence on you. You should invite him over to dinner sometime."

"I will push you off this roof," Kaine grumbled. Ben swore he saw the barest hint of a smile beneath that newfound GQ exterior.

"Web-shooters. Never leave home without 'em."

Kaine glanced down at the web-shooters on Ben's wrists, its metal reflecting the light of a nearby billboard, then briefly looked up at the mask of his brother before looking down at the street below.

"Thanks."

It took Ben a moment to realize he was talking about earlier.

"Who are you, and what did you do to my crazy, homicidal, older brother?"

"It's just a haircut. Get over it."

Ben put his hand on Kaine's shoulder and pulled so Kaine was facing him. "Come on, Kaine. Don't make me drag you to family counseling. Talk to your younger, formerly-prettier-than-you brother."

For a moment Kaine was silent, just staring at the Spider-Man mask. Ben pulled it off, running a hand through his thick, bleach-blond hair to try to remove the "maskhead" it always gave him. He gave Kaine his best puppy eyes. The other clone scowled. Ben pouted, to more scowling. This went on, with Ben coming up with new and goofy ways to appear sad, and Kaine slowly buckling under each one. Ben was on his knees, hands clasped in front of him when Kaine finally broke, turning away to hide a snicker.

"It's the girl, all right? She kept saying I looked like a hobo and she wouldn't shut up about it!"

"Oh come on! For ten years, I tell you you look like a hobo and you never so much as put your hair up in a ponytail. I see how it is, you hate me. I'll just jump off this roof now to keep myself from the shame."

Ben took a step toward the ledge, but Kaine stopped him by placing his meaty, mountain man hand on the center of his chest, nearly engulfing the center of the large spider logo. Like Ben, Kaine could stick to pretty much anything. It came with the deluxe clone package. However, rather than pull him away from the ledge and deeper onto the rooftop, Kaine just shoved Ben's Spider-Man mask back over his head (and backward too, rude!), then released him and took a step back.

"Go ahead."

Ben fixed the mask so he could actually see, letting out a dramatically fake sob as he did. "You wound me, brother. Right here. In my heart."

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to care? You of all people should know I don't have one."

Years ago, back when Ben first put on the Spider-Man costume, he could easily believe that. Even now, after everything they've been through together, he could still remember Kaine as the man he once was--insane, violent, and hellbent on destroying anything Ben held dear. If he was honest with himself, he occasionally would look at his brother and still feel the hatred for everything he did. He couldn't even look in a mirror without being reminded of the man Kaine once was, as several of his more prominent scars were courtesy of him.

But they were trying. Ben learned that the anger and hatred that seemed to fuel Kaine stemmed from near unimaginable pain, pain he could only relate to after Kaine had injected him with something that mimicked its effects during that weekend that had changed both of their lives forever. Ben had promised him that he would work to find a cure, something that was proving harder than he first thought. At the bare minimum, he had managed to dull the pain to something more manageable.... even if it occasionally came with unwanted side-effects, like the seizure from earlier.

For all of his efforts, though, there was something that worked better than anything he could make in his (admittedly low tech) lab: the girl Kaine had saved a few months back during a mission in Houston.

"Does Aracely know that? She'd be crushed to know that 'su héroe' doesn't have a heart."

"I make no effort to hide what I am from her," replied Kaine. His meaning hung in the air, clear as if he had spoken the words out loud. "A monster." It was Kaine's new favorite way of describing himself. The petty part of Ben always kept him from arguing the point, even if it did concede Kaine wasn't the same man he once was. "And Christ, your Spanish sucks."

"Yeah? Well.... your face sucks." Ben regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. That was bad, even for him.

Kaine didn't seem to notice. After all, he was the only one out of all of them without a sense of humor. He just continued to stare down at the street below.

"You're distracted. not that I can blame you."

Damn it, he always was perceptive, even before he got all these fancy government contacts. Kaine would forever know more about his life than he would, wouldn't he?

"Who told you?"

Kaine didn't look up. "Does it matter? Next week, everything changes. Are you ready for that?"

"I...I..." Ben paused, the bravado that came from wearing the mask suddenly running dry. He pulled it off again and absently started to tug at it. "I don't know. Does that make me a bad person? That totally makes me a bad person."

"It makes you human."

Ben looked up from the mask to stare yet again at Kaine. Should he check to see if this man was a Skrull? Why was he being so supportive tonight?

Kaine went on. "It's a big adjustment. It won't be easy in the beginning, but if there are two idiots that can deal with it, it's you two. Then again, from watching _Orange Is the New Black,_ women's prison seems a lot different than the hole they stuck me in."

"Okay.... I'm pretty sure now that you're a Skrull, so if you just cooperate I can get you over to Avengers Tower..." Because seriously, Kaine has a Netflix account? Is he officially the only one left who doesn't?

"Don't insult me, Ben." Kaine's lip turned down to the smallest hint of a scowl. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"What's gotten into _me_?! What's gotten into _you_!? You've _never_ been this friendly or forthcoming in anything! Why wouldn't I think you were a Skrull?"

"Would you prefer I try to kill you? Would that make you feel better?"

"At least it would make sense!"

The two brothers stared at each other across the rooftop. Ben really wasn't sure why he was even arguing with Kaine about this. It was so stupid, especially since this was supposed to be a good thing. But it was just so different, so sudden, and with his luck being what it is, he knew it wasn't paranoia to be weary. Kaine was staring back down at the street again, his newfound stylish bangs blocking his expression. Not that Ben needed to see his face to tell that something was off. His shoulders were slumped as if in defeat.

"I don't know why I even agreed to be here. I'm just... I think I should go home," muttered Kaine, turning his back to his brother as he headed towards the stairwell. To Ben's knowledge, there had never been a building Kaine wasn't willing to climb, but after what happened when he tried to get up here, he couldn't exactly blame him for wanting a safer way down. "This whole thing was a stupid idea anyway."

Ben rushed forward and grabbed Kaine's shoulder again, but this time the older clone shrugged it off and kept walking. Conflicting emotions boiled up inside as he watched him go. Part of him wanted to yell out after him, and part of him was ready for him to leave. He had enough going on in his life right now, and babysitting Kaine had always been one of the hardest of his many, many jobs. Maybe he still hated him after all. Then the guilt crept in. It wasn't as though he had helped Kaine entirely because he felt he had to. Since that day in the rain 5 years ago, Kaine had seemed nothing but open to the idea of redemption, even if achieving it seemed impossible to them both. His brother had surprised him every step of the way, rising to every challenge and every obstacle anyone could throw at him... why should tonight be any different?

"Hey, I'm sorry. Don't go."

"Don't pity me, Ben. Say hello to Janine for me if she doesn't hate me for what I've done."

"Kaine!"

But Kaine kept walking. He was almost at the door to the stairs. His hand reached out for the handle...

"I mean it, Kaine, I'm sorry. There's just been so much going on lately between everything with Janine, and my hours at the Daily Grind just don't seem enough lately, and Electro broke out of jail, and then you show up looking like you just stepped out of a fashion magazine and were actually talking to me for once, and..."

Kaine's hand dropped to his side, and he turned to look back at his brother. "Haven't you talked to Murdock lately? He told me he was going to take care of Electro for you."

"Wait, what?"

"Dare...devil? Said he would catch Electro for you?" Kaine was staring at him like he was the Skrull.

"No, I heard you the first time. How do you know this?"

"You made him my lawyer. Am I not supposed to talk to him now?"

It was true. He had promised to get Kaine (and Janine) a good lawyer, and he had stayed true to his word. They had barely been processed before Ben went to the offices of Nelson and Murdock and requested that they take the case. Janine had been an easy sell, but Kaine... well Kaine was much harder. Matt had been reluctant to take on the admitted assassin but eventually relented to go and speak with him before agreeing to take on the case. Whatever went on in that private meeting was enough to get him to agree, and both brothers have been grateful for all of his work ever since.

"I didn't think he was your lawyer anymore."

"For someone so smart, I will never understand how you're so stupid. Fine, then think of him as my superhero parole officer." He had traveled back across the roof and was now within arm's length.

Ben pouted. "I thought I was your superhero parole officer."

"Like I'd listen to you," Kaine said with a roll of his eyes. 

Though he had said it sarcastically, they both knew the former assassin would, in fact, listen to anything Ben would have to say. At least when it came to things that mattered.

"At least that's one less thing for me to worry about."

"Me not listening to you?"

It was Ben's turn to roll his eyes. "Electro!"

"I was kidding."

"You know, I'm really beginning to think you _are_ a Skrull."

This time, Kaine didn't look insulted. They had finally settled into their uncertain rhythm, that spot where the two found themselves comfortable in the presence of each other, but still uneasy. Despite their best efforts, it was hard to undo 5 years of torment. Usually, though, they had found it more quickly, but it appeared that tonight both of them were occupied with other thoughts.

"How's Reilly?"

At the mention of his son, Ben was practically beaming. He never intended to be a father, but life was funny like that, and Reilly proved to be the best thing to ever happen to Ben. Janine had just been convicted when she discovered she was pregnant, and though they had intended to give him up for adoption, neither could let themselves go through with it. They agreed to keep the child, and Ben would raise him until Janine was released when they could raise him together. A clerical error put his last name down as his son's first and Janine's last name as his last, and though he had sworn he would get it fixed, he never had and the name stuck. The only downside was that everyone now assumed his naming ability was seriously lacking, and that his son's name was really Reilly Reilly.

"Great. He's getting ready for Kindergarten. _Kindergarten_ , already. I can't believe it. He's already picked out his backpack and he's been wearing it everywhere. You'll never guess who's on it."

"Spider-Man."

"How'd you--?"

"Your face says it all, Ben." Kaine had pretty much stopped referring to him as "Reilly" after his son was born.

"He's been asking about you, you know. He wants to know when 'Hobo Uncle Kaine' is coming back. He's going to be so disappointed to see your new look."

Okay, that was a real smile on Kaine's face right there. When Kaine was first let out of prison, Ben had been reluctant to let him near his son. Their relationship had drastically improved since then, but he just wasn't sure how he would react around a small child. What if Reilly said something to set him off? Would he have to fight his fellow clone right there to protect his son? He couldn't afford the years of therapy that would cause.

Luckily, his fears were unwarranted. One day Kaine was walking with his handler, Agent Weadon outside the park he and Reilly were playing in. Through some sort of uncanny child radar, Reilly had loudly declared that it was "hobo daddy" outside and rushed to the fence to get a better look at the man who had so closely resembled his father. Once Weadon's laughter had subsided and Kaine stopped looking like a deer in headlights, Ben had managed to coax the two into the park and Kaine actually pushed Reilly on the swings.

Reilly had his uncle wrapped around his tiny little finger ever since.

"What about your kid? How's Aracely doing? I haven't seen her since you brought her back to New York."

"She's not my kid. And she's exhausting. I'll take Reilly for a few days if you take her. A toddler's got less energy."

"Oh I beg to differ."

"You haven't seen her recently. Did you know she wants to go to Six Flags? I do. She's told me about 700 times today. What the hell is a Six Flags, anyway!?"

"It's a theme park in Southern Jersey."

Kaine's brow furrowed as he frowned. "There is no way in hell I'm going to Jersey. For anything. You take her."

"And what makes you think that _I_ want to go to Jersey? It's _Jersey_!"

"Because you give a crap."

The two brothers fell silent at that, as they often did. Conversing like this was still foreign to them, and it was common for silence to fall between them for minutes at a time before one of them eventually caved and came up with something new.

Kaine broke it first. "There," he said, pointing down to the street below.

Ben followed his finger, and among the sea of people he could make out three in particular: a little girl holding her redheaded mother's hand, and a man that had an uncanny resemblance to Ben holding a large duffel bag stood behind them. Ben smiled. Peter, Mary Jane, and May were finally here.

"Come on, Kaine, let's go welcome them back to New—"

He stopped when he realized he was speaking to nothing but air. Well, air and a shopping bag that sat where Kaine used to be. Ben didn't have to look to know it was a pair of civvies for him once he was down on the street level. As usual, Kaine had remembered something that he had forgotten. As for his brother, he had hoped that this time Kaine would finally talk to Peter, but... 

Maybe next time.


End file.
